Improvement in the manufactuee of alcoholic sheets



Quits gtatrs gaunt @ffi JAMES N EELY AND SiMEON ALLEN, OF BUGKINGI-IAMCOUNTY, VIRGlN IA.

Letters Patent No. 65,108, almed ilfay 23, 1 867.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, JAMES NEELY and SIMEON ALLEN, of Buckingham county,State of Virginia, have discovered new properties in the juice of thestalks of maize or Indian corn, and that it may be readily distilled,producing Alcohol or Spirituous Liquors; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and exact description of the same. i

The stalk of the maize or Indian corn is cut at any time from thecommencement of the stage in its growth known as the dough state till itis dry. The juice is expressed in any of the ordinary modes used forexpressing the juice of sugar-cane or sorghum. The juice is then set inany convenient vessels where the temperature will be favorable to vinousfermentation; and when this has become fully established, the liquor isready for distillation in the ordinary way of distilling cider vforbrandy. In warm weather the distillation may follow close upon thegrinding and expression of the juice. 7

The yield of proof-spirits or of alcohol from thejuice of course varieswith the qualities of the stalk and time of cutting; but under favorablecircumstances the yield of proof spirits will be one gallon or upwardsfrom every six of the raw juice; and the yield of thejuicc t'rom thestalk. is nearly or quite equal to the yield of juice from sorghum. Thespirituous liquor thus produced we believe to be as well adapted tomedicinal uses and as pleasant and wholesome as a beverage as Whiskey orbrandy made frouruny other material. The yield from any breadth of landcultivated will be, in alcoholic liquors, double or more of what couldbe made from the ripe corn from the same land. The discovery is onetending to benefit humanity, in that-it may lead to the disuse of ripeand nutritious grains for distillation.

The shoots may be stripped from the stalk, so as to prevent theformation of cars. This, we think, gives more yield of alcohol to theacre, and would probably be the advisable course where the cars would beof little or no account as fodder for stock. A person having use forthecars would find it better to allow the shoots to grow and form cars,which would be stripped or gathered .from the stalks before they areexpressed for the juice, these cars being nearly equal to ripe corn forfattening stock.

What we claim as our discovery and invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. We claim the manufacture of spirituous liquors and alcohol from thejuice of maize or Indian corn, substantially as herein set forth. I

2. We claim, as a new articleof manufacture, spirituous liquors oralcohol made from the expressed juice of corn stalks.

JAMES NEELY,

SIMEON ALLEN. Witnesses Tues. H. Bron, R. H. SPENCER.

